In the Christian journey, believers often face the challenge of aligning their inner spiritual life with their outward testimony. Many find themselves dissatisfied with their spiritual progress, realizing a gap between what they profess and what they truly experience internally. This struggle is common and can lead to a crisis of faith, where one might consider stepping away from ministry or their faith community unless their inner life aligns with their outward expressions. The goal is to live a life of zero hypocrisy, where speech, thoughts, and attitudes are without defect, marked by integrity and authenticity. This pursuit requires a deep commitment to self-examination and a willingness to let the Holy Spirit transform every aspect of one's life. [04:31]
"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out." (Proverbs 10:9, ESV)
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where your inner beliefs do not match your outward actions. What steps can you take today to bring these into alignment?
Day 2: Running the Race of Faith
The Christian life is likened to a race that begins with genuine repentance and faith and culminates in the return of Christ. This race is not just about seeing Jesus but becoming like Him. The hope of being transformed into His likeness should drive believers to purify themselves and strive for total Christ-likeness. This involves a conscious effort to walk as Jesus walked, embracing His teachings and example in every aspect of life. The journey requires perseverance, self-discipline, and a focus on the ultimate goal of being fully conformed to the image of Christ. [07:14]
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." (1 Corinthians 9:24, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you can actively pursue Christ-likeness today? How can you make this a daily practice?
Day 3: Conscious and Unconscious Transformation
Walking as Jesus walked involves both conscious acts of righteousness and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal and transform unconscious areas of un-Christ-likeness. This requires continuous self-examination and repentance, acknowledging that there are aspects of our lives that we may not even be aware need change. The Apostle Paul exemplified this by maintaining a clear conscience before God and men, yet recognizing that only God can judge the unconscious areas of his life. The goal is to stand before Christ with nothing to be judged, having judged ourselves rightly in this life. [15:27]
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV)
Reflection: Ask God to reveal an unconscious area of your life that needs transformation. What steps can you take to address this area with His help?
Day 4: True Worship as Living Sacrifice
True worship is not about external acts but offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. This involves a daily commitment to surrender every part of our being to God, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. As believers commit to this process, they progress in Christ-likeness and become ready to meet Him with boldness when He returns. This form of worship is marked by a life of integrity, faithfulness, and a deep sense of belonging to God, recognizing that everything we have is His. [58:02]
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life that you have not fully surrendered to God? How can you offer this area to Him as an act of worship today?
Day 5: Living for God's Approval
Living for God's approval means seeking to hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant," by maintaining a clear conscience and living a life of integrity and faithfulness. This involves prioritizing God's opinion over man's and striving to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. Believers are called to judge themselves rightly, ensuring that their lives reflect the values and teachings of Christ. This commitment to living for God's approval requires a deep sense of accountability and a desire to honor Him in all things. [39:43]
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways are you currently seeking the approval of others over God's? How can you shift your focus to prioritize God's approval in your daily decisions?
Sermon Summary
In our journey of faith, we often find ourselves grappling with the disparity between our outward testimony and our inner spiritual life. Many believers, if honest, would admit to dissatisfaction with their spiritual progress. This struggle is not uncommon, and it was a reality in my own life for many years. Outwardly, I maintained a perfect testimony, but inwardly, my walk with the Lord was lacking. This led me to a point of crisis where I considered stepping away from ministry unless my inner life aligned with my preaching. I desired zero hypocrisy, aiming for a life with zero defects in speech, thoughts, and attitudes.
The Christian life is a race, beginning with genuine repentance and faith, and culminating in Christ's return when we will be fully like Him. Until then, our hope is not just to see Jesus but to be like Him. This hope should drive us to purify ourselves, striving for total Christ-likeness. Our spiritual journey is marked by conscious acts of walking as Jesus walked, and recognizing the unconscious areas of our lives that need transformation. This involves a continuous process of self-examination and repentance, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of un-Christ-likeness.
The Apostle Paul exemplified this by maintaining a clear conscience before God and men, recognizing that even with a clear conscience, there are unconscious areas that only God can judge. Our goal is to stand before Christ with nothing to be judged, having judged ourselves rightly in this life. This involves a deep commitment to not just outward righteousness but inward faithfulness, recognizing that everything we have belongs to God.
True worship is not about external acts but offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. This involves a daily commitment to surrender every part of our being to God, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. As we do this, we will progress in Christ-likeness, ready to meet Him with boldness when He returns.
Key Takeaways
1. Zero Hypocrisy Goal: Strive for a life where your inner spiritual reality matches your outward testimony. This involves aiming for zero defects in speech, thoughts, and attitudes, recognizing that true spiritual progress is marked by integrity and authenticity. [04:31]
2. The Race of Faith: The Christian life is a race that begins with genuine repentance and faith, and ends with Christ's return. Our hope is not just to see Jesus but to be like Him, which should drive us to purify ourselves and strive for total Christ-likeness. [07:14]
3. Conscious and Unconscious Transformation: Walking as Jesus walked involves conscious acts of righteousness, while also allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal and transform unconscious areas of un-Christ-likeness in our lives. This requires continuous self-examination and repentance. [15:27]
4. True Worship: True worship is offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. This involves a daily commitment to surrender every part of our being to God, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. [58:02]
5. Living for God's Approval: Live for God's approval, not man's. Seek to hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant," by maintaining a clear conscience and living a life of integrity and faithfulness. [39:43] ** [39:43]
[60:17] - Closing Prayer and Introduction of Annie
Bible Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1 John 3:2-3 - "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
Acts 24:16 - "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men."
Romans 12:1 - "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
#### Observation Questions
What does 1 John 3:2-3 say about our hope as believers and how it should affect our lives?
According to Acts 24:16, what was Paul's approach to maintaining his conscience? [19:10]
In Romans 12:1, what does Paul urge believers to do as their spiritual act of worship?
How does the sermon describe the difference between outward testimony and inner spiritual life? [03:16]
#### Interpretation Questions
How does the hope of being like Christ when He returns motivate believers to purify themselves according to 1 John 3:2-3?
What might it look like in practical terms to maintain a blameless conscience before God and men as Paul describes in Acts 24:16? [19:10]
How does presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice relate to true worship as described in Romans 12:1? [58:02]
The sermon mentions the concept of "zero hypocrisy." How does this idea challenge the way believers live out their faith? [04:31]
#### Application Questions
Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Are there areas where your outward testimony does not match your inner spiritual life? What steps can you take to address this disparity? [03:16]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of self-examination and repentance. How can you incorporate regular self-examination into your spiritual routine? [15:27]
Consider the idea of living for God's approval rather than man's. What practical changes can you make in your daily life to focus more on God's approval? [39:43]
How can you actively strive for "zero defects" in your speech, thoughts, and attitudes this week? Identify one specific area to focus on. [04:31]
In what ways can you offer your body as a living sacrifice to God in your daily life? Choose one specific action to take this week. [58:02]
Think about a time when you felt convicted by your conscience. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? [18:37]
The sermon discusses the unconscious areas of our lives that need transformation. How can you become more aware of these areas and invite the Holy Spirit to work in them? [15:27]
Sermon Clips
In other words my aim was zero hypocrisy. I remember years ago visiting a car factory in India, and I saw a board which the manager had put up there on the wall saying, we aim for zero defect. And I've never forgotten that. I saw that more than 50 years ago and I said, Lord, I want to aim for zero defect in my life, in my speech, in my thoughts, in my attitudes to people, in the genuineness of my love, in genuine Christ-like humility, in my attitude to money, in my attitude to women, every area I want to aim for zero defect. [00:03:47]
The Christian life is a race, and it's a long way before I can reach the goal, but it's a race that we are to run and the finishing line, the starting line of the race is being genuinely born again. The finishing line of the race is when Christ comes again and we will be like Him completely. So it says here now we are children of God, that's where we begin but it has not yet appeared where we will be, that's what the finishing line of the race. [00:07:14]
Walking is a conscious act. Normal people don't walk in their sleep. It's a conscious act. You take one step and the next step and the next step. So when it says about walking as He walked, it's referring to the conscious part of our life, the area of our life which we know whether we are right or wrong. Do you know that there's a huge area of our lives where we don't know whether we are doing what is right? [00:14:20]
One of the rules the Apostle Paul had, turn with me to Acts of the Apostles in chapter 24 and verse 16. Acts 24:16 Paul tells us one of the rules he had in his life. Paul was a very disciplined man and he says one of the rules he had in his life, Acts 24:16 is he at all times, the word always means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Paul maintained his conscience absolutely clear before God and before men like the two arms of the cross, before God and before men. [00:18:44]
If we judge ourselves rightly and that word rightly is very important, we will not be judged. What does that mean? You know in the final day, we're all going to stand before the Lord and be judged, including believers. There are two judgment seats, one is called the great white throne judgment seat of Almighty God you read in Revelation 20, where only unbelievers stand, but then there is another judgment seat which is called the judgment seat of Christ. [00:27:11]
I want to live before my Lord to say, what do you think about me? I remember once saying, Lord, Lord Jesus, can you say about me, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased? Oh God, if you can say that about me, I'd give anything. That's all I want. I don't want money, I don't want comfort, I don't want honor, that's all trash. I want to hear those words from you not only when you come back, I want to hear your spirit saying that to me while I'm alive right now. [00:39:43]
The root of all sin, when he was tempted like us, he was tempted to do his own will, that's what it means and he never did it. So even a simple thing like I can use the power God has given me to turn these stones to meet my own need, I will not do it. If the Father tells me to use my power for something I'll do it, for example, when there were 5,000 people who were hungry needed bread, oh then Jesus used his power to produce bread from nothing almost from five loaves became 25,000 loaves or more. [00:48:03]
Our calling is to go down. This has been the challenge for me in my own life. There, you know, a lot of people respected Jesus and I know that a lot of people around the world who respect me very highly, and the Lord told me what did Jesus do with that? He constantly went down. His whole life was going down, down all the way from heaven. He came down, down, down, down and the last day of his life on earth, he was found at the feet of his disciples. [00:49:33]
Present your body, not your money, no that's Old Testament ten percent. All the preacher who free, all the people who preach 10 are Old Covenant priests. I'm not an Old Covenant priest. I have never in my life preached or practiced giving 10 to God. I believe in giving much more than that because your New Covenant is much better than the Old Government, but more than money do you know what God wants? [00:58:02]
Real worship doesn't need instruments or songs. It is offering your body, that is your spiritual worship and Jesus said you must worship in the spirit. This is what worship in the spirit means, to present our body and then verse two to allow our mind, body and mind two things, a mind to be changed, to be conformed to the way God thinks. That's the meaning there, renewing your mind as you read God's word and submit to God's word, your mind begins to think like God thinks. [00:58:02]
I want to do your will. I haven't understood it all but help me in my daily life to progress in Christ likeness I pray in Jesus name amen. So before I close I want to introduce my better half, Annie is my wife and uh she's the heart that pumps the blood while I speak, that means she prays for me and she wanted to just say hello to all of you, she's not going to give a sermon, she just wanted to say hello to all of you. [01:00:17]
We as moms and wives can support our husbands to build how uh build our houses like our homes like the wise man built his house on the rock. We as we can become wise women and support our husbands to build our homes so that our children can grow up in a godly way and they can see our lives that we are living to please Jesus, not grumbling or complaining about our circumstances and trying to live within our means and not to expect more than what we can afford. [01:01:00]